To celebrate the end of the semester, Tenkiller School students presented a Christmas program, shopped for their families, and enjoyed watching a movie on a big screen in the gymnasium.
According to Superintendent Ryan Cottrell, the Christmas program took place Dec. 19, and opened with “God Gave Us Jesus,” performed by Head Start and kindergarten students, followed by “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
“It was a great night,” Cottrell said. “Students and staff worked hard to make it a good performance, and we had a great turnout from the community.”
First-grade students performed “Feliz Navidad,” followed by “Jingle Jam,” which was sung by the second-grade class. Both grades came together to perform “It’s Christmas Time.”
Fourth grade sang “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” followed by “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” which was sung by the third-grade class. During this song, Cottrell said there was a special guest performance, from the green one himself, who surprised the students on stage to join the song.
“It was kind of a surprise we did for our students,” Cottrell said.
The third- and fourth- grade classes sang “Let It Be Christmas” together, followed by “The Little Drummer Boy,” performed by fifth- through eighth-grade students. Lastly, all the grades came together to sing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” as a group.
“It provides an an opportunity for the community to come together and see the students perform and see all the good things that are happening at the school,” Cottrell said of the program.
After the program, students and families took photos with the Grinch, and Christmas gifts were passed out to students. Cottrell said funds were raised during the Fall Carnival by the Tenkiller Parent-Teacher Organization to fund a student shopping trip to purchase gifts. Earlier this season, students received $50 to spend at the Stilwell Walmart to purchase gifts for family members, or items for themselves.
“I think when we take them shopping, it’s an opportunity for our staff to connect with our students in a different way,” Cottrell said. “It’s a great reminder of the connections that can be made outside of the classroom.”
Cottrell said each of Tenkiller’s 167 students participated in the Christmas shopping spree, and added that it was interesting to see what the kids picked out for themselves or their families.
“It’s a great partnership with the PTO,” Cottrell said of the student shopping tradition.
On Friday, Dec. 20, students and staff ended the semester with a Christmas Party in the gym. Cottrell said students watched Christmas-themed movies, while enjoying candy, soda, and popcorn, provided by the PTO.
“It’s another opportunity to partner with our PTO, and have a Christmas celebration for our students,” Cottrell said. “It’s another way to thank our students and staff for their hard work, and end the year on a positive note.”